Seven Magical Ways to Relieve Stress
We’ve all been dealing with a lot of stress over the past few months. Many of us are out of work while the essential workers keep the world moving. I’ve spent a lot of time submerging myself in the world of Harry Potter for the past few weeks to try and calm myself down, but sometimes I need to do a little bit more. Here are some of my favorite ways of dealing with stress.
Practice yoga.
Whenever I feel stressed, I turn to yoga. After twenty minutes, I feel calm and relaxed. I highly recommend taking some time out of each day to put on a YouTube video and use that time to just be in the moment. I use Yoga With Adriene videos daily, and it’s so nice to take some time out of my day to just focus on stretching and tuning in to my body.
Read a book.
Escaping into a fantasy world has always been my favorite way to deal with stress. For most of my life, my happy place has been Hogwarts. So if you’re feeling stressed, pull out your Harry Potter books and start a reread, or just focus on your favorite parts. I always find reading the books soothing because it brings me back to when I was younger and could let my whole life revolve around Harry Potter and his friends. I knew that everything would end up okay even if there were a ton of problems along the way.
Watch a movie.
Cinema has always been an escape for people ever since its invention. There’s something so magical about watching movies. Why not have a movie night to help relieve some stress? Get some popcorn and snacks, turn off the lights, and pretend that you’re actually having a night out at the cinema while saving yourself that $10 movie ticket. Many movies are going straight to digital release right now. This is also the perfect time to have a Harry Potter movie marathon.
Play a video game.
Video games are a great way to escape reality for a little bit. I can’t go out shopping, but you bet I’m going to be talking to every merchant I can in The Witcher III trying to find the exact item I want. There are so many Harry Potter video games: one for each movie, Lego versions, Quidditch World Cup, and more. Whatever you want to play, there’s a Harry Potter game that will help you do it.
Start a journal.
I’m a huge fan of journaling. I’ve kept a bullet journal for about two years now, and I find the process incredibly soothing. It’s a way to keep track of your thoughts and your schedule without worrying about wasting space. With bullet journals, you create your own pages and your own layouts, so there is no guilt if you skip a month. You won’t be wasting predated pages, because you make them yourself. Bullet journals can be as simple or as complex as you want, and you can switch up your style whenever you want.
Bake some bread.
I’ve never been much of a baker. Baking is more of a science, and I’m not a huge fan of the need to be precise. When I cook, I like to experiment, which can be difficult to do with baked goods. In a surprising turn of events, I, like many people, have turned to baking bread during my quarantine. Yes, there is a need to measure your ingredients, but it’s easy to add in different herbs and spices to experiment a little bit. Kneading bread is a great stress reliever because you can work out your anger and frustration on your dough and end up with something that is light and fluffy and beautiful. I highly recommend that everyone try to make their own bread.
Make a craft.
Creating something with my own two hands has always been soothing for me. There’s nothing like making something beautiful with a little bit of time and material. I taught myself how to cross-stitch, and I find the process to be very calming. I highly recommend checking out the MuggleNet DIY section to find your next project.
